Letter dated October 16th, 1864

Harewood Hospital
October 16 1864

Dear Ett

I received your kind letter the next day after I wrote one to you so I have left till today I am very sorry to bear you don't enjoy yourself any better. I don't see what mother can say about me that should make you feel so bad unless it is because I did not pay her for cub if that is it you tell here to name her price and you pay her if you have got money enough and if she is amind to let what Mart can say make her mad at me she is welcome to. I may possibly come home for election but I can't tell. There is so many reports. There is a report in the papers now that they will come home the same as they did last year. Dear Ett if you think you could enjoy yourself any better to Toms you had better go out there after the last of this month. If I come home it will be the last of this month or the first of next. You say that you was in hopes that I could come home to stay, you could not hope for it more than I have but it is hard work for a man to get out of the service unless he dies out. I am getting fat again but shall never be fit to stand the front if I can help it but if I had my discharge I think I could stand most anything that would make you happy for I could live most any way now if you was with me and was contented, but I am here no better than a slave and know that you are unhappy. It makes me feel sometimes as if I wished that I had died but then I think that it wont last always and I hope to live for your sake and out own dear little one. I have some hopes that after the election there will be something done to bring this cruel war to an end and if it don't my time is most half out and I will only hope to live it out for the sake of those that I love but if you was like some of the soldiers wives that I know of I should never want to come home but you must " to get along some way for my sake and for the dear little one until I am at liberty once more then I will try to make you happy if it is in my power. Write to me often and I will do the same. Keep up your spirits and hope for the best.

You need not send me any stamps. I have 4 left yet and I can buy them here the same as there